Numerous types and styles of tables have been developed and utilized, particularly in offices and the like, including tables having a height-adjustable leg structure for permitting the table elevation to be varied. The known tables have provided both incremental height adjustment, normally accomplished manually, or continuous height adjustment through use of a manually-actuated or motor-driven mechanism. These known tables have often utilized a type of telescoping leg which traditionally permits height adjustment only over a rather small range, conventionally about four to six inches. These known tables have also often involved a leg structure which is structurally complex, expensive, or difficult to adjust. Many of the tables have also utilized leg structures which, because of structural complexity and/or size, or height-adjustability requirements, have resulted in the table having a less than pleasing appearance. Many of these tables have also been of greater weight than desired, often due to the complexity of the leg structure.
It is an object of this invention to provide an improved height-adjustable table which is structurally simple, light in weight, efficient to manufacture, manually easy to operate with respect to height adjustment, and possesses a simple and pleasing appearance.
More specifically, it is an object of the invention to provide an improved height-adjustable table, as aforesaid, which can be incrementally height adjusted over a significant height range, which adjustment can be easily and simply manually accomplished, which utilizes a telescopic leg structure providing a structurally simple and noncomplex arrangement, and which leg structure does not unnecessarily clutter or restrict or interfere with the space under the table top.
A further object of the invention is to provide an improved height-adjusting table, as aforesaid, which by means of a simple height-adjusting structure, also permits limited angular tilting of the table top from front-to-back without requiring any additional or special tilt mechanisms or structures, while at the same time maintaining a positive structural connection of the top to the height-adjustable leg structure.
In the table of this invention, there is provided an enlarged top supported in upwardly spaced relation from a floor by a leg structure which is fixed to and projects downwardly from the underside of the top. The leg structure includes substantially identical right and left leg arrangements secured under the table adjacent opposite ends thereof. Each leg arrangement includes a bottom leg part which includes generally parallel and upright front and rear leg members rigidly joined together by a plurality of vertically spaced and horizontally extending cross rods. The front and rear leg members have the upper portions slidably and telescopically received within individual front and rear upper leg parts, which upper leg parts and the lower leg members have a series of cooperating holes which accommodate a removable locking element to permit telescopic height adjustment. The upper leg parts have transversely extending upper tubular portions which project longitudinally of the table and are positioned directly under the top. These upper tubular portions, disposed in the vicinity of the corners of the table, are oriented so that the front upper leg parts have the upper tubular portions aligned and rigidly joined to an elongate support shaft or tube extending therebetween directly adjacent the undersurface of the table top adjacent the front edge, and the rear upper leg parts have the tubular portions similarly joined to a further support shaft or tube which is disposed adjacent the undersurface in the vicinity of the rear edge of the top. These support tubes are rotatably supported within hangers or brackets which are fixed to the underside of the top. This allows the support shafts to undergo limited angular rotation relative to the table top which, in conjunction with the configuration of the telescopic leg arrangement, enables the adjusted height of the front and rear leg arrangements to be slightly different so as to permit the top to assume at least a small incline from front to rear.
Other objects and purposes of the present invention will be apparent to persons familiar with structures of this general type upon reading the following specification and inspecting the accompanying drawings.